Hamas Escalates Gaza Conflict

Hamas is ever ready to condemn Israel for violations of truce agreements, but it appears to ignore its own responsibility for the current conflict. Twenty three Kassam rockets pounded the western Negev area of Israel as Hamas prepared to end the truce with Israel. Of course, it is a rather strange truce highlighted by Hamas doing everything in its power to create turmoil and disorder in the region. Israel defense officials said the escalation would not result in any immediate action to enter Gaza and destroy rocket launch sites, but it left open the possibility of such an offense operation. Prime Minister Olmert stated in blunt terms: “the rocket fire is just clarifying what we’ve been saying all along, that we can’t have a situation where supposedly thee is an agreed-upon cease fire, while he reality on the found is completely different.”

The Israel army is itching to respond to the rocket attacks with some sort of invasion of Gaza. Most probably, that is exactly what Hamas desires–chaos and the death of innocent Gazans. Hamas knows if Israel invades Gaza it makes impossible for Abbas to negotiate an agreement to create an independent Palestinian nation. Hamas will do everything in its power to prevent emergence of such a nation. It prefers disorder and anger toward Israel because, Hamas endures on the basis of rhetoric, not action. Peace is the last item on its agenda.

very true.
Hamas is a veto organisation. It has to constantly resist in order to be counted. The only reason it agreed to the ceasefire, in fact pushed for it in the first place, was to give itself a chance to upgrade and rearm, which it has now done.

An attack on Gaza is not on the cards mainly due to no-one wanting to rock the political boat in Israel as the run up to general electoins begins. Should Netanyahu become PM, all that may well change.